Educational problem and answer device



A. H. MERRILL 2,970,384

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM AND ANSWER DEVICE Filed July 30, 1954 Feb. 7, 1961 :;rg;7 w"""" I "F 5 +3 We IN IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O F EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM AND ANSWER DEVICE Albert H. Merrill, Los Angeles, Calif. (13118 Desmond St., Pacoima, Calif.)

Filed July 30, 1954, Ser. No. 446,807

4 Claims. (Cl. 35-9) The educational device to which said patent pertains is adapted to be sold as a toy. In order to make the best commercial success of manufacturing and marketing such a toy it is imperative that the cost of manufacture be reduced as much as possible without lessening the attractiveness and usefulness of the article.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention further to lower the cost of manufacture of said toy and to do so, not only without lessening attractiveness and usefulness, but in such a manner as to make the toy of a more durable character so that it will be more resistant to the rough usage it may be expected to encounter from the hands of children.

The present application includes, as a part of a problem and answer device, a novel cover member or partial sleeve which is adapted partly to embrace one or more problem and answer bearing members, and which is adjustable between two positions in one of which positions it conceals and in the other of which it exposes to view the answers to the problems. This cover member may be die formed in an inexpensive manner either of a plastic substance or of sheet metal.

This invention also includes the combination, with said cover member and a tray or the like; of improved means for slidably attaching said cover member to said tray.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the adjustable cover slidably embracing a pack of problem-and-answer slips, said cover being shown in its answer concealing position. In this view a fragment of the upper slip of the pack is broken away so as to show part of the next lower slip.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the cover and pack of slips in their operative position within a tray, a plurality of answer blocks being shown positioned to indicate answers to several of the problems. The cover is shown adjusted to answer disclosing position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, the thickness of the problem-and-answer slips and of the sheet material forming the cover being exaggerated for clearness of illustration. A lid overlying the tray is fragmentarily shown.

Fig. 4 is a view showing in perspective a typical answer bearing block, the upper portion of the view showing the block with a numeral bearing face uppermost and the lower portion of the view showing the same block with a word bearing face uppermost.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fragment of the combined answer block positioning member and means for slidably attaching the cover.

-Referring in detail to the drawing, the embodiment Patented Feb. 7, 1961 of the invention therein shown comprises a substantial.- ly rectangular tray 7 having a floor 8 from which upstand end walls 9 and 10 and side walls 11 and 12. With this tray cooperates a pack 15 of problem-andanswer slips which are shown constructed and' arranged in the manner set forth in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,645,038. The particular pack of these slips shown in the drawing is designed to teach the elementary addition table and also to teach the names of sixteen familiar objects. With this end in view the pack consists of four slips, each slip having upon both faces numerals setting forth numerical problems and their answers; and a fifth slip having the names of familiar objects inscribed upon both its faces alongside pictorial representations of the objects named.

Said pack 15 of problem-and-answer slips is of the proper length to fit closely, but in a readily removable manner, between the end walls 9 and 10 of the tray 7, as illustrated in Fig. 2 where the pack of slips is shown in its operative position within the tray, substantially spanning the distance between the end walls of the latter.

An elongated slidable cover 16 of stiff sheet material having an operating ear 16a is provided to overlie the answer bearing portion of the aforesaid pack of slips in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein the answers to the various problems are concealed by said cover, or in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the answers to the various problems are visible. Said elongated cover is channel shaped in cross section, consisting of a web 17 carrying along one side edge an imperforate flange 18 and along its other side edge a flange 19 having through it a longitudinal row of spaced apart circular windows or sight openings 20 with intervening opaque flange portions. This cover is maintained in its operative position by reason of its lower flange 18 underlying the free edge portion of a plate 25 overlying the floor 8 of the tray and fastened to said floor desirably by a pair of staples 26 which are considerably spaced away from the tray side wall 11, so as not to interfere with sliding said cover. Said plate 25 is desirably made of thick cardboard. It is shown having through its right hand portion as viewed in the drawing two longitudinally extending parallel rows of rectangular apertures 36, each of said apertures being dimensioned to receive with a little clearance one of the answer bearing blocks, presently to be described, so that said blocks when in their answer indicating positions will register with the problems which they answer. One advantage resulting from providing this block positioning member resides in the fact that, since it overlies that side portion of the tray upon which the jacketed pack of slips is placed it elevates somewhat said pack so that the problems appearing on the upper slip are more nearly on the same level as the answers to said problems appearing on the seated blocks, which rest directly on the floor of the tray.

When the cover 16 is made of a transparent plastic substance no openings need be provided therein to disclose the answers, but portions thereof which are needed to conceal said answers may be rendered opaque by being coated with a suitable paint, as in my aforesaid patent. Also, when cover 16 is made of a transparent plastic substance numerals or parts of pictures may underlie the entire width of the flange 19 allowing the cover to be made narrower.

A set of answer blocks is provided, a typical answer block 30 being shown in Fig. 4, the upper portion of this view disclosing the numeral 7 inscribed on one face of the block and the lower portion of the view disclosing the word hat" inscribed upon the opposite face of the same block. In the simplest form of the device a set of sixteen answer blocks will be used in a manner similar to that set forth in my aforesaid prior patent, hence it is not deemed necessary to go into any detailed description regarding these blocks, which may be greatly varied in number and character according to the extent of the problem-and-answer field to be covered. In Fig. 2 additional typical blocks 33 and 34 are shown, the block 33 being in its answer indicating position and the block 34 to be moved leftward slightly into a contacting relation to the cover 16 where it will indicate the correct answer to the problem five plus three.

The problems shown pertain to the addition table and illustrate the addition of live to all the numbers from 2 to 9 inclusive. Numerals are shown inscribed ,upon the top slip 25a of the pack, but it is to be understood that pictorialproblems may also be carried by .one or more slips of the pack, a slip 255) being partly shown in the upper portion of Fig. l where a fragment of said top slip 25a is broken away, and upon the exposed portion of slip 25b is shown a picture 35 of a hat, it being understood that the word hat will be inscribed upon the left-hand portion of the slip in the same location as the answer numeral 7 appears in the upper left-hand corner portion of Fig. 2. The arithmetical problems on each slip face are shown scrambled rather than in a numerically increasing order, being thus arranged to increase the mental effort required to solve them. The slips which form the pack 15 are of equal lengths and the length of the slidable cover 16 is sufliciently less than that of the pack to allow said cover to be shifted longitudinally to the extent necessary in operating the device in the manner hereinafter explained.

As has already been stated, in Fig. 3 the thickness of the slips forming the pack 15 has been exaggerated to secure clearness of illustration. But for convenience in printing, said slips maybe made of comparatively thin cardboard, so that the pack 15 constitutes a plate-like member. One edge portion of the upper face of this member is straddled by the channel shaped cover 16 and bears problem answers which are either covered or ex- .posed to view, according to the position of said cover.

of the problem-and-answer slips will overlie the imperforate side portion of said fioor plate with the column of answers either concealed by the cover flange 19 or else appearing through the windows 2% thereof.

Preparatory to putting the device into use the lid 40 will be removed and placed in an inverted position. Thereupon all the answer bearing blocks will be dumped thereinto. Thereupon the instructor will arrange the problem-and-answer slips in such a manner that the particular series of problems to be solved will be displayed by the uppermost slip. Then, with the slidable cover so adjusted as to cover the column of answers on the uppermost slip, the child is ready to select and put in place the answer blocks which he thinks will answer the various problems. After doing this he will slide said cover into the position wherein the answers on said uppermost slip are observable through the windows 2%) of the cover, and will use the uncovered answers to check up on the answers indicated on the selected blocks.

If desired the operating ear 16:: may be omitted, for the cover member it; can be moved longitudinally by placing the tips of the fingers in the windows 2% thereof.

Also, if preferred, the elongated answer blocks (typified by the block 3%), which have been described may be made square in cross section and answers represented by words and numerals may then be carried by all four of their long sides, the number of problem bearing slips being increased accordingly.

It has been found that the device can be operated satisfactorlly without using the fasteners 26 to attach the 4 floor plate 25 to the bottom of the tray, gravity co-operating with the end and side walls of the tray to keep said plate in place. Omitting said fasteners further reduces assembly cost.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tray having side walls and a floor and stop means superjacent to said floor, a plate attached to said tray in an overlying relation to said floor, said plate having a free edge portion in an adjacent spaced relation tonne of said side walls, and a channel shaped member comprising two flanges united by a web, one of said flanges slidably underlying saidedge portion of said plate and said web slidably occupying the space between said edge portion of said plate and the tray wall to which it is adjacent, the width of said web being greater than the thickness of said plate so that a space results between said edge portion of theplateand the channel flange thereabove, said space being adapted to receive the answer bearing portion or a problem-andanswer bearing strip, there being along the latter flange a row of windows alternating with opaque flange portions, the sliding movement of said channel shaped member in one direction being arrested by said stop means with said answers concealed by said opaque portions and being arrested in the opposite direction by said stop means with said answers appearing through said windows.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and said stop means consisting of end walls upstanding from said floor.

3. In combination, a tray having side walls and a floor and above said floor upwardly directed end portions which form stops, a plate in an attached overlying relation to said floor, said plate having a free edge portion in an adjacent spaced relation to one of said side walls, and a channel shaped member comprising two flanges united by a web, one of said flanges slidably underlying said edge portion of said plate and said web slidably oc copying the space between said edge portion of said plate and the tray wall to which it is adjacent, said channel shaped mamber having a longitudinal movement limited by said stops, the width of said web being greater than the thickness of said plate so that a space results between said edge portion of the plate and the channel flange thereabove, said space being provided to receive the answer bearing portion of a p1'oblem-and-answer bearing slip, there being a row of windows alternating with opaque portions in the latter flange, said channel shaped member being sufiiciently less in length than the distance between said stops so that when said member is abutted against one of said stops the answers on said slip appear through said windows and when said member is abutted against the other of said stops said answers underlie said opaque portions.

4. in combination, a tray having a floor and end walls upstanding from said floor and -a side wall upstanding therefrom, a plate overlying said floor, means whereby said plate is maintained in its operative position with one of its edge portions in an adjacent spaced relation to said side wall, said plate having through it a plurality of openings extending in a row in a widely spaced parallel relation to said wall, a slip overlying the space between said row of openings and that edge of said plate which is adjacent to said side wall, a column of continuously observable problems carried by said slip extending lengthwise thereof, the problems of said column being adjacent to and transversely alining with said openings, a column of answers to said problems on said strip extending lengthwise thereof, said problems being located between said answers and row of openings, each answer transversely alining with the problem which it answers, blocks bearing answers to said problems, said blocks being removably seatable within said openings through said plate, and an elongated channel shaped cover with a web located between said side wall and said edge portion of said plate and a lower flange slidably positioned between said cover is abutted against the other end wall of the said floor and said edge portion of said plate, said cover tray. being shorter than the space between said end walls and having an upper flange with a row of spaced apart win- References Cited in the file 0f this Patent dows extending therealong through which answers may 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS be read when said cover is abutted against one of said end walls, said upper flange having between the said windows opaque portions which conceal said answers when 

